Good Fruit Grower

July 1

Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/331109

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 30 of 39

Smaller pear crop predicted P acific Northwest pear growers expect to harvest a smaller crop this year than last. Industry representatives from Washington and Ore- gon compiled an estimate of 14.1 million boxes of winter pears and 4.6 million boxes of summer and fall pears during annual pear industry meetings in Portland, Oregon, in May. The total estimated crop of 18.7 million boxes is down 13 percent from the 2013 crop, according to figures from the Pear Bureau Northwest. The estimate shows 10 million boxes of d'Anjou pears, 4.2 million boxes of Bartlett, and 2.7 million boxes of Bosc. Most of the drop from last year is in the Wenatchee, Washington, district, which is forecasting a winter pear crop of less than 6 million boxes, down from 8 million last season. The Yakima, Washington, district is expect- ing a slight increase in winter pear volume, at 2 million boxes. The total organic pear crop is estimated at 505,000 boxes, down from 540,000 last season. IFORED expands T wo new partners have joined an international con- sortium that was formed to launch and commercial- ize new red-fleshed apple varieties. With the addition of Red Apple Germany and Johnny Appleseed of New Zealand, the IFORED consortium now has 14 members in five continents who together market more than three million tons of apples annually and have more than 140,000 acres of apples. Red Apple Germany is a subsidiary of DOSK, a research consortium owned by the nine largest German fruit cooperatives. Johnny Appleseed is a fifth-generation grower, packer, and marketer that sells fruit under the Yummy brand. IFORED was formed two years ago. Its members are evaluating a range of 24 red-fleshed selections, with diverse skin colors, developed through natural breed- ing techniques by the French company IFO. The most advanced selections have been planted in pilot orchards in Europe and the first "precommercial" orchards will be planted in 2015, according to IFORED. Other IFORED members include: Next Big Thing, United States and Canada; Mono Azul, Argentina; Unifrutti, Chile; Dutoit, South Africa; AMG and Blue Whale, France: Empire World Trade and Worldwide Fruit, United Kingdom; Fenaco, Switzerland; NovaMela, Italy; and Nufri, Spain. www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JULY 2014 31 PHOTO BY TJ MULLINAX Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, right, shares a laugh with Rick Plath, president of Washington Fruit & Produce Company, at the company's new cherry packing facility in Yakima, Washington. Inslee visited the facility June 6 at the kickoff to the 2014 cherry season. Read more Quick Bites at www. goodfruit.com. Q UICK BITES Cherry crop a whopper A Northwest Cherry Growers forecast compiled in May predicted a fresh crop of 20.7 million boxes this season for the states of Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, and Idaho. That would be the second-largest crop ever, behind the 23 million boxes harvested in 2012 and ahead of the 20.5 million boxes harvested in 2009. Washington's crop was estimated at 15.8 million boxes, an increase of almost 5 million boxes from the 2013 sea- son. The Oregon crop was estimated at 4 million boxes, with significant increases in production in The Dalles and Milton-Freewater. B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherry Growers, said the region had perfect spring weather and had the potential to produce a vintage crop.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Good Fruit Grower - July 1